After two lost seasons, James has emerged as one of Cowboys' more important leaders
By Eric Edholm (eedholm@pfwmedia.com)
Aug. 17, 2006
With apologies to T.S. Eliot, August — at least for NFL players — can be the cruelest month.
Training-camp two-a-days. Searing heat. Nagging injuries. And for some, when rosters are reduced, it can mean the end of their playing careers.
And though Bradie James never got that down or that close to losing his dream, August would come and another season would pass with unfulfilled expectations. From coaches. From fans. From himself.
Though James was a fourth-round pick in 2003, following a strong career at LSU on one of college football’s best defenses, he was expected to go higher and was considered a potential steal for the Cowboys. It looked like new Dallas coach Bill Parcells had found a massive linebacker who could run and hit all day, as well as take on 300-pound guards — perfect for the 3-4 scheme that Parcells hoped to install.
But James developed slowly, appearing mostly on special teams (which he had never played before, not even in high school) as a rookie. He appeared not to know the defensive schemes, preferring to freelance when he did get reps, which angered the coaching staff to no end. James detested blocking on the return teams.
James made little progress in Year Two, starting only two games and fading down the stretch. James played well on special teams, especially in his second season, but everyone knew he had more potential than that. In film sessions, he’d watch college teammates and fellow ’03 draftees, some taken later than him, getting chances to play on other teams. He felt like he might never get his chance in Dallas, if at all.
“I think I have made every mistake a young player can possibly make. And playing for a guy like Bill Parcells, especially being a rookie playing for Bill, is one of the toughest jobs in America,” James told PFW this week. “Last year it was simple for me. Everybody was talking about what I needed to do, and I knew I needed to do something, especially after the ‘Tom Landry Rule.’
“And Bill always preaches that, talking about the first year, your rookie year, you just need to show a glimpse of something. Your second year, you need to be fighting for something, a position, and your third year, if you’re not in either one of those positions, you’re out. So it was simple. I was like, ‘I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to go to Monroe, Louisiana.’ I don’t want to be done playing football.”
James got off to a bit of a slow start, but by the middle of his third NFL training camp, he finally was making an impression. That size-speed combo, the one that had tempted Parcells, started showing itself. Whereas film study was a chore before, it now had become something James embraced. He started showing off his football knowledge instead of just guessing what he had to do on a certain play.
“I had to really learn the language, get used to what was expected of me and really embrace my role. Each year my role has definitely increased,” James said.
He earned a starting spot next to Dat Nguyen, the defense’s undersized but highly regarded signalcaller, as the strong-side inside linebacker. James had done plenty of watching and learning to date, but he found himself with a chance to showcase his skills on defense. After an ordinary start to the 2005 season as James got accustomed to playing the majority of the snaps, it wasn’t until Nguyen went down that the best of James emerged.
In Week Eight, James’ first time calling the Cowboys’ defensive signals, he had six tackles, including a monster hit on Brian Westbrook, and led a fired-up unit that held the Eagles to 19 yards rushing in a 33-10 Cowboys blowout. James went on to have a stellar second half of the season, including a huge performance (12 tackles, sack, two passes defended) in the Eagles rematch in Philly.
Perhaps more so even than the plays he made on the field, and there were many, it was James’ understanding of the schemes that most impressed Parcells and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. James finally had arrived.
Now he finds himself anchoring a very good, young defense on a team that has legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. There are reservations, to be sure, with such predictions — especially in the locker room. In addition to it being a relatively young team, the losses of vocal leaders La’Roi Glover and Nguyen, plus Keyshawn Johnson and Dan Campbell, coincide with the arrival of noted cancer Terrell Owens.
The Cowboys are turning to James for leadership. Two years ago, they worried he was a bust. Last August, James was trying to, in essence, make an impact on defense or go back to Monroe. Now he’s one of the pillars up front. He no longer worries about his future. James has accepted his new role with vigor.
I think it’s a natural thing, having been in this (leadership) position before in college. I never wanted to step on any guys’ toes, but it’s a close-knit bunch here in Dallas. You don’t want to go out and just start talking (when) you haven’t proven yourself. I had to work my way up just to get to where I am and to be vocal. You just don’t go in and say, ‘Well, I am the vocal leader.’
With me being one of the signalcallers, I am always talking. I have to be positive. But if I am not playing well, no one is going to listen to me anyway, so you have to back it up on the field. That’s one thing you have to learn.”
Another thing James is learning as you read this is the business of the game. He’s about to start playing out the final season of his rookie deal, making a relatively modest $1.5 million, but the team and James’ agent, Jimmy Sexton, have talked recently about a new deal. One appears close, according to James.
“Some hard negotiations. I am trying to really not pay attention to it. You definitely have to have a cutoff point. (Getting something done) before the end of the season would be great. I think we might be closer than that.
“But (impending free agency) is something that I have never gone through. There’s no book to really have regulations and rules to get you prepared for it. You never want to sign something where you feel like you’ve been cheated or anything like that, but I don’t think that will happen.”
Two years ago James felt like he was cheating himself out of a career, throwing away his chance to play professional football in the city where his two older brothers lived. They cried when the hometown Cowboys drafted little brother Bradie. Now they rejoice at the fact that James is a leader in the middle of one of the best young defenses in the NFL.
Maybe August isn’t so cruel after all.
Aug. 17, 2006
With apologies to T.S. Eliot, August — at least for NFL players — can be the cruelest month.
Training-camp two-a-days. Searing heat. Nagging injuries. And for some, when rosters are reduced, it can mean the end of their playing careers.
And though Bradie James never got that down or that close to losing his dream, August would come and another season would pass with unfulfilled expectations. From coaches. From fans. From himself.
Though James was a fourth-round pick in 2003, following a strong career at LSU on one of college football’s best defenses, he was expected to go higher and was considered a potential steal for the Cowboys. It looked like new Dallas coach Bill Parcells had found a massive linebacker who could run and hit all day, as well as take on 300-pound guards — perfect for the 3-4 scheme that Parcells hoped to install.
But James developed slowly, appearing mostly on special teams (which he had never played before, not even in high school) as a rookie. He appeared not to know the defensive schemes, preferring to freelance when he did get reps, which angered the coaching staff to no end. James detested blocking on the return teams.
James made little progress in Year Two, starting only two games and fading down the stretch. James played well on special teams, especially in his second season, but everyone knew he had more potential than that. In film sessions, he’d watch college teammates and fellow ’03 draftees, some taken later than him, getting chances to play on other teams. He felt like he might never get his chance in Dallas, if at all.
“I think I have made every mistake a young player can possibly make. And playing for a guy like Bill Parcells, especially being a rookie playing for Bill, is one of the toughest jobs in America,” James told PFW this week. “Last year it was simple for me. Everybody was talking about what I needed to do, and I knew I needed to do something, especially after the ‘Tom Landry Rule.’
“And Bill always preaches that, talking about the first year, your rookie year, you just need to show a glimpse of something. Your second year, you need to be fighting for something, a position, and your third year, if you’re not in either one of those positions, you’re out. So it was simple. I was like, ‘I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to go to Monroe, Louisiana.’ I don’t want to be done playing football.”
James got off to a bit of a slow start, but by the middle of his third NFL training camp, he finally was making an impression. That size-speed combo, the one that had tempted Parcells, started showing itself. Whereas film study was a chore before, it now had become something James embraced. He started showing off his football knowledge instead of just guessing what he had to do on a certain play.
“I had to really learn the language, get used to what was expected of me and really embrace my role. Each year my role has definitely increased,” James said.
He earned a starting spot next to Dat Nguyen, the defense’s undersized but highly regarded signalcaller, as the strong-side inside linebacker. James had done plenty of watching and learning to date, but he found himself with a chance to showcase his skills on defense. After an ordinary start to the 2005 season as James got accustomed to playing the majority of the snaps, it wasn’t until Nguyen went down that the best of James emerged.
In Week Eight, James’ first time calling the Cowboys’ defensive signals, he had six tackles, including a monster hit on Brian Westbrook, and led a fired-up unit that held the Eagles to 19 yards rushing in a 33-10 Cowboys blowout. James went on to have a stellar second half of the season, including a huge performance (12 tackles, sack, two passes defended) in the Eagles rematch in Philly.
Perhaps more so even than the plays he made on the field, and there were many, it was James’ understanding of the schemes that most impressed Parcells and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. James finally had arrived.
Now he finds himself anchoring a very good, young defense on a team that has legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. There are reservations, to be sure, with such predictions — especially in the locker room. In addition to it being a relatively young team, the losses of vocal leaders La’Roi Glover and Nguyen, plus Keyshawn Johnson and Dan Campbell, coincide with the arrival of noted cancer Terrell Owens.
The Cowboys are turning to James for leadership. Two years ago, they worried he was a bust. Last August, James was trying to, in essence, make an impact on defense or go back to Monroe. Now he’s one of the pillars up front. He no longer worries about his future. James has accepted his new role with vigor.
I think it’s a natural thing, having been in this (leadership) position before in college. I never wanted to step on any guys’ toes, but it’s a close-knit bunch here in Dallas. You don’t want to go out and just start talking (when) you haven’t proven yourself. I had to work my way up just to get to where I am and to be vocal. You just don’t go in and say, ‘Well, I am the vocal leader.’
With me being one of the signalcallers, I am always talking. I have to be positive. But if I am not playing well, no one is going to listen to me anyway, so you have to back it up on the field. That’s one thing you have to learn.”
Another thing James is learning as you read this is the business of the game. He’s about to start playing out the final season of his rookie deal, making a relatively modest $1.5 million, but the team and James’ agent, Jimmy Sexton, have talked recently about a new deal. One appears close, according to James.
“Some hard negotiations. I am trying to really not pay attention to it. You definitely have to have a cutoff point. (Getting something done) before the end of the season would be great. I think we might be closer than that.
“But (impending free agency) is something that I have never gone through. There’s no book to really have regulations and rules to get you prepared for it. You never want to sign something where you feel like you’ve been cheated or anything like that, but I don’t think that will happen.”
Two years ago James felt like he was cheating himself out of a career, throwing away his chance to play professional football in the city where his two older brothers lived. They cried when the hometown Cowboys drafted little brother Bradie. Now they rejoice at the fact that James is a leader in the middle of one of the best young defenses in the NFL.
Maybe August isn’t so cruel after all.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:15 PM
<< Home